The New Jersey Devils made the right call by keeping head coach Sheldon Keefe for next season. GM Sunny Mehta did what any responsible business executive would do. Instead of making rash decisions and going scorched Earth, Mehta made a wise decision by holding onto Keefe for the 2026-27 season.
Keefe is a good coach. He proved that in Toronto, and he’s also shown what he can do in New Jersey. The issue lies, at least as far as his time with the Devils is concerned, that the organization didn’t quite put him in a position to win.
That will hopefully change with Mehta. The current Devils GM could well turn things around and improve on an already talented roster.
Keefe, moreover, is the right coach for the Devils. This current iteration resembles much of what Keefe had back in the day in Toronto. The Devils are a fast, puck-possession-first team that can take anyone to the cleaners based on speed and skill.
Yes, there are some areas for improvement. But that’s Mehta’s job. And if Mehta does his job right, Keefe should have plenty of firepower to work with.
But there’s also another dimension to the decision to keep Keefe in the fold for one more season at least. Should things go south, Mehta will have cover to make a coaching change as soon as it’s reasonable. Mehta can take a step back and say he gave Keefe a chance. Mehta can then point to the issues plaguing the team and pin the blame on Keefe. At that point, fans can agree that giving Keefe a chance was the right move, and firing him was the logical consequence.
Why now is not the time for Devils to find a new coach
There are two reasons why now is not the time for the Devils to move on from Keefe.
The first reason hinges on availability. There are various openings around the league. The Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, LA Kings, and Edmonton Oilers are all looking for new bench bosses. That adds to the needless whirlwind of activity. If the Devils were to suddenly jump into the mix, a bidding war could ensue over available coaching candidates.
The second issue lies in the practicality of making a coaching change. Specifically, the Devils don’t need to make a coaching change at this point. There is no tangible reason why the move needs to happen now.
As such, Mehta and the organization have the luxury of time. That’s something the Maple Leafs and the Oilers don’t have. The pressure to succeed in those markets is so high that the organization has to make a move, any move, to appease fans and the media.
And it’s not that there isn’t pressure to succeed in New Jersey. It’s that fans and the media aren’t breathing down Mehta’s neck to make a move this offseason.
So, we shall see what unfolds in the coming weeks. With the Keefe question out of the way, the organization can get down to the business of building the right roster to contend. But should things go sideways, there will always be a way out.
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